Device for starting internal-combustion engines.



D. E. GROUSE.4 DEVICE T oR STARTING INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION TILBD 00T. zo, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

I ggg Ano/mns WITH/88.58

following is a full, clear; and exact 'in i Snecifieation of LettersPatent.

ire-simmons@ er, wie.

.Application iilerl 19e-toter 25, 2191i, Serial No. 655,661.11.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that il, Envio il). Geenen, aicitizen of the Umted States, end resident of Annapolis, in the eonnty ofAnne liirnn del and State of Maryland, have invented an ImprovementinDevices for S' 'ing internal-Combustion Engines, of wie h the descrip-An object of myinvention ie toprovide e device which will start aninterinali ceinhustion engine through the medium of coin'- pressed air.

A further object of iny invention is to provide a movable raol: forengaging pinion on the shaft of the engine, the nievement of the rackinto engagement with the pinion being accomplished by means of colina'pressed air, and the return of the recit to its initial position beingeieeted bymeens ,Segernento the llng 1.0?? with the stop 2l.

oi' a s ring.

A nrther object of my invention is to provide means for moving the racklaterally out of engagement with the pinion on its return stroke. Y

Utlieroljjects and advantages will appear in the followingspecification, and the novel features oft' the invention will hepartien- .larly pointed out in the appended claims My invention isillustrated in the accom )anvin draWinOs orrnin art of this e s l PFig-Lire l is a longitudii'iai section through the main parte of thedevice, the rnolr heilig shown in elevation; and Fi 2 is e. similar viewshowing the rack in its shifted position.

In carrying out my invention E rovide a pinion 1 on the shaft 2. Theeylinder 3 is connected et one end with a v-vvsy cock "4,- loy'means ofn, pipe 5. The opposite end of the cylinder 'has' an o eninsr to receivethe hollow rod 6. One en of this rod hears .the piston 7. At 8 and Qfreintegral en largements o the rod-Which iorin guide members fory thefrai'ne lfoiz the reel; 1i.

A cylinder l2 oonununicates witlrthe interior of the ipipe and is.-providesi with a piston lvvhosefpiston rod ilifis secured to the rack asshownM in the drawings. Between-the piston reid and the end of theeylinder'2 is a spring 15 for normally lioiding he piston 1n its lowerposition.

v The guide member 9 has an inte ral extension 16 wiiieh slides in abearing l?. The latter is provided with a latch member 18 which is heldnormally against a stopV .i9 hy means of. e spring 20. The frame 19" isprovided with a lug 10'* at one end de-I signed to he engaged by thelatch member 1S -has a similar lugor stop 10' which .engages aspring-pressed stop` 2l.

From the foregoing description of 'the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be 'readily understood. The

device is primarily designed to he used in snrting automobilesV from theseat. The

s-way cook is disposed in e position within easy Areach oi the operatorand the inlet pipe 22 is designed Vto he connected With a source ofcompressed sir (not-shown)..

vi shows the normal position of the device. .ln starting the engine, thehandle '2B-.is turned into the-position shown in Fig. A2 end air is.admitted behind the piston' 7; go

@The `letter cannot move because oi the en- `.the -air passes throughthe hollow rod 6 and-inte the interior of the cylinder 12, causing thepiston 13 to rise and compress the spring 15. The reeli; l1 and frame 1Gare therefore raised upwardly. When the lng l0 clears the stop member 21the piston is now 'free to move and in, the forward movement the raelrengages the gear l and turns it, thereby starting the enginec The raelrpasses on beyondthepinion and the lug 10a catches underneath the latchmember '18 thereby holding the rack, y

After the engine is started, the S-Way cock is turned into the positionshown in Fig. l, thereby establishing communication between the pipe 5and the exhaust pipe 24. The compressed air Within the cylinder 3 nowescapes through the exhaust pipe 24 and the spring l5 causes a downwardmovement of the piston 13 and of the rack 1i and its frame. When the lug10a clears the latch member 18 the spring 25 in the cylinder 3, whichwas compressed in the forward vmovement of the piston 7, now returns theI claim A 1. In a device for start-ing internal combustion engines, agearI on the engine shaft', a rack normally out of alinement with saidgear, a piston for moving said rack into alinement with said gear,A asecond piston for moving the rack into engagementv with the gear, meansfor actuating both pistons,

means for moving the rack again out of alinement with the gear, andmeans for returning the rack to its original position.

2. In a device for starting internal combustion engines, a gear on theengine shaft, a rack normally out of alinement with said gear, a pistonfor moving Ysaid rack into alinement With said gear, a second piston formoving the rack into engagement',v with the gear, means for actuatingboth of said pistons a spring for moving the rack again out of alinementwith the gear, and a second spring for returning the rack to itsoriginal position.v Y

3. In a device for starting internal combustion engines, a gear on theengine shaft, a rack normally out of alinement with said gear, saidlrack having a slidable frame, a cylinder, piston bein a piston Withinsaid cylinder, said connected with the rack, a second cylin er, 'apiston within said second cylinder, a conduit connecting the interior ofthe tW'o cylinders, a hollow iston rod for second piston, said piston roserving as a guide member for the rack` frame and,

tablishing communication between the two cylinders, means forintroducing compressed air into said second named cylinder, and meansfor preventing the movement of the piston in said second named cylinderuntil after the first named piston has been operated.

piston rod for said secondpiston, said piston rod serving as'a guidemember for 'the rack frame and for 'establishing comniunication betweenthe two-cylinders, a -Way cock for introducing compressed air into saidsecond named cylinder and for letting the air out of said second-namedcylinder, a lug carried by the rack frame, a spring stop member normallyin the path of said lug, a second lug carried by said rack frame, and alatch member arranged to engage said'second lug for holding the rack inits shifted position.

DAVID ELDRIDGE oRoUsE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. PRINCE, J. F. LAYNG.

(lopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C. v

